Parents in Malaysia welcome under-16 social media ban

JOHOR BAHRU - The move to

ban children under 16 from accessing social media

is a timely and much-needed step to protect them, say parents in Malaysia.

With the ban anticipated to come into effect on Jan 1, Malaysia joins a growing list of countries restricting access to digital platforms due to concerns over violent and sexual content – including material generated by artificial intelligence – being readily available online.

Personal assistant R. Chitra, 46, who has two sons aged 13 and 16, said it is important to shield young children from online content that is intended for adults.

“We should not allow children to be exposed to all of that,” she said.

“I’ve created social media accounts for my children where we can share some of their accomplishments and experiences, but they do not have direct access to the accounts.

“I administer these accounts. So, in a way, they are still somewhat on social media but under very strict control,” she added.

Homemaker Rebacca Wong, 29, said she is worried about the increasing amount of AI-generated content online, especially on social media.

“Sometimes, even we as adults can’t tell whether it is genuine or AI-generated.

“The language used on social media is getting too vulgar and we should not be normalising kids being exposed to such harsh words at a young age,” she said.

“There is also violent and sexual content online, as well as predators targeting children on social media.”

Management assistant Aisha Mohd Yusof, 38, said the rising number of violent cases involving children recently is another reason why there is an urgent need for the ban.

“Although parents have the responsibility to monitor their children, I think some regulation from the government and social media platforms would help too,” she said.

On Dec 4, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced that Malaysia would be taking steps to prohibit children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms.

The government also plans to tighten content controls for teenagers under 18 as part of 10 subsidiary laws being drafted under the Online Safety Act 2025.

Datuk Fahmi added that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission is currently developing the regulations with a specific focus on protecting children online and ensuring age-appropriate content for young users. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK